Spatial planning and management to control multi-ecological environmental problems: A case study of Anshan city, Liaoning, China

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-2317650/v2

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Spatial planning and management to control multi-ecological environmental problems: A case study of Anshan city, Liaoning, China

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2317650/v2

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Spatial pattern and process studies are of global interest and typically focus on one certain environmental or ecological process, and the methods employed mostly rely upon spatial process models. Meanwhile, spatial planning is an important administrative management in regional development, especially in China. However, traditional urban planners focused more on social economy and less on eco-environment. How to conduct scientific planning is the key to solving and preventing eco-environmental problems. In this study, we proposed a synthetic spatial analysis and planning method that involves atmospheric, edaphic, hydrographic and ecological processes to zoning management and control strategies for regional sustainable goals. The method can identify key eco-environmental processes and regions effectively, divide scientific spatial control unit, and set precise management polices to prevent environmental pollution and ecological damage events. The synthetic method was conducted using advanced multi-process models and spatial statistical methods, including CMAQ and SWAT models. The case study in Anshan city indicated that the models we proposed can effectively reflect the link between pollutants and land use pattern. According to the process simulation results of pollutant distribution, we combined the administrative districts and land use, divided 67 types of eco-environmental management units based on atmospheric pollution discharge, hydrographic pollution discharge, edaphic heavy metal pollution, and ecological space. For each unit, we proposed feasible management policies and control measures. This synthetic method can provide scientific analysis and guidance support spatial planning and ecological construction for multi-purpose ecological environmental protection.

pattern optimization

multi-process analysis

environmental control zone

landscape management

Rapid urbanization causes environmental problems, which are major threats to biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services (Culhane et al., 2019; Ke et al., 2018) and can undermine the long-term sustainability of human societies (Estoque et al., 2020; Foley et al., 2005; Newbold et al., 2015). Under such circumstances, built-up land changes need meaningful spatial planning policies to reduce their impacts. Landscape planning and management (LPM) are disciplines that transfer knowledge developed in landscape ecology to application (Opdam et al., 2001). Supported by the techniques of remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS), as well as the approach of modeling and simulation, LPM plays an important role in guiding spatial planning development.

Urbanization and industrialization have brought many benefits to economic development but bring many problems and stress to the ecology and environment because they occupy an important ecological space (Kuang et al., 2021; Ning et al., 2018). Unreasonable urban planning and construction also cause adverse environmental impacts on the urban and regional environment. As a process of optimizing spatial patterns, spatial planning has been acknowledged to play a critical role in environmental sustainability and mitigating unbalanced regional development (Gustafsson et al., 2018). Different countries have formed their spatial planning systems in accordance with regional characteristics. The planning system includes two levels: conceptual planning and master planning; there is no national to local planning control in Singapore. Planning in Germany is divided into three levels, federal, state, and local, and is dominated by comprehensive planning (Kunzmann, 2001). China has formed some spatial planning, such as the five socioeconomic development plans, urban and rural planning, land use planning, and national territorial spatial planning, to promote sustainable development (Zhou et al., 2017). Current spatial planning aims to achieve multiple sustainable development goals involving regulating urban expansion, improving infrastructure construction, utilizing natural resources efficiently, reducing environmental pollution, and increasing adaptation to climate change (Meerow and Newell, 2017; Tammi et al., 2017).

In 2014, the United Nations put forward 17 global SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs), which propose new requirements for the sustainable and coordinated development of future agricultural green development, urbanization development, water resource protection, and climate change (Zhu et al., 2022). In 2020, China announced its national goal to reach the peak of carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 (Piao et al., 2022). Under development stress, how to coordinate the contradictory relationship between economic developments and protect key ecological areas has become a real problem that urgently needs to be solved in the field of scientific research and practice. In the early 1980s, ecological security began to develop as a popular area of international ecosystem research and to represent a new theme challenging the sustainable development of human society. The effective construction and maintenance of a regional ecological security pattern not only contributes to the integrity of ecosystem structure and function, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem service maintenance but also enhances human well-being, promotes sustainable development, and eventually improves regional ecological security (Jing et al., 2018; Liu, 2016). China is paying increasing attention to the protection and management of the ecological environment. These efforts include analyzing the characteristics of ecological function zones to delineate them in ways that maintain ecosystem types and dominant ecological functions in different regions, while protecting their contributions to regional social and economic development. The state has repeatedly proposed delineating ecological protection red lines in important ecological function areas, sensitive areas of terrestrial ecological environments and vulnerable areas to effectively ensure regional ecological security (Xia et al., 2017; Yan et al., 2016). Ecological function zoning is essential for guiding the rational use and development of regional resources, giving full play to the advantages of the regional ecological environment, improving ecological economic benefits, and realizing the overall sustainable development of the regional economy, society, resources, and ecological environment (Yang et al., 2018; Yang et al., 2016).

However, the delimitation of ecological function zones is mostly based on a single goal and lacks comprehensive consideration of multiple goals. Most study cases focus on one environmental process; furthermore, the relationship between the pattern and comprehensive multiprocess needs future development (Cai et al., 2021; Wu et al., 2021). The minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR) (Liu et al., 2017), the circuit model (Peng et al., 2018), and the patch gravity model (Kong et al., 2010) are mostly used to construct regional ecological security patterns. Compared with other methods, the minimum cumulative resistance model has the advantages of applicability and compatibility and is widely used in the construction and optimization of regional ecological security patterns (Huck et al., 2011; Wang et al., 2008). This approach does not take into account real environmental and ecological processes. Additionally, resistance surface construction methods mainly include scoring assignments based on land cover and ecosystem service assignments, which have the disadvantages of strong subjectivity and poor applicability. Management based on multi-eco-environmental process units can provide important theoretical support and a technical approach for regional sustainable development.

This study integrated the water environment, atmospheric environment, soil pollution, and ecological conditions and used multiple process models (SWAT, CMAQ) and spatial statistical methods to delineate environmental management and management units; it was oriented toward regional sustainable goals. We took Anshan city as an example, formulated zoning management and spatial regulation requirements, explored patterns and integrated multi-ecological environmental processes, and built multiscale, comprehensive management tools and regulatory multi-eco-environment systems based on key eco-environmental processes. The main objectives of this study were: (1) to propose a synthetic spatial analysis method that involves multiple ecological environmental processes; (2) to identify key ecological environmental processes and spatial zoning strategies; and (3) to propose zoning management and control strategies for regional sustainable goals.

2.1. Research Framework

In this study, based on the models and methods, a planning technology framework was constructed, as shown in Fig. 1.

Atmosphere – A distribution model of air pollutants was built using air emission inventory and monitoring data from environmental protection departments.

Water – A study area model was established using the collected pollutant discharge and sampling data.

Soil – Spatial interpolation was based on pollutant sampling data.

The evaluation of ecological conservation importance includes ecological service function evaluation (including water conservation function, biodiversity conservation function, soil and water conservation, and windbreak and sand-fixing function) and ecological sensitivity evaluation (sensitivity to water and soil erosion and sensitivity to land desertification).

2.2. Overview of the Study Area

Anshan, located in northeast China (122°10′-123°41′E, 40°27′-41°34′N) (Fig. 2), was chosen as the study area; it is in a transition zone from mountains to plains. Anshan includes forestland, farmland, urban areas and important rivers, wetlands, and mines; it is also an important city for mineral development and heavy industry. The ecological environment of the area is under important pressure. Therefore, Anshan is an ideal study area to research multi-eco-environmental processes and unit management due to its environmental pressure and diverse landscape. The total area is 9255.36 square kilometers, ranging in elevation from -54 m to 1137 m. The region is in the warm and semihumid continental monsoon climate zone, moving from warm temperate in the west to cool temperate in the east, with an annual mean temperature from 9.0 ℃ to 6.3 ℃ and annual precipitation from 428.8 mm to 740.7 mm. As an old industrial base of northeast China that is rich in mineral resources, the area has been developed by the metallurgical industry, which has had a serious impact on the city, atmospheric environment, water environment, and ecological environment.

2.3. Data sources

The climatic data included the annual average temperature, total annual precipitation, annual mean maximum temperature, and total annual evaporation in 2016. The daily climate data were collected from the China Meteorological Administration. The meteorological observation data were obtained from the China Meteorological Data Service Center (http://data.cma.cn/en).The monthly hydrological data from 2001 to 2016 were collected from the local government. This study used soil data, including physical and chemical properties, from the Harmonized World Soil Database (http://www.fao.org/nr/land/soils/harmonized-world-soil-database/en/).

Land-use types were generated based on Landsat 8 remote sensing images through manual visual interpretation. All data were resampled for calculation as 30 × 30 m raster cells. The land use types were reclassified as construction, forest, grassland, agriculture, and water area. The DEM is generated by a 1:250,000 topographic map. NDVI data were mainly derived from the geospatial data cloud (Cloud, 2020) with a resolution of 250 m. Night light data were obtained from the National Geophysical Data Center (National Centers for Environmental Information, 2020) website, which included the annual composite data of DMSP/OLS from 2000 and 2010 and the annual composite data of NPP/VIIRS without clouds from 2020.

Air quality data were obtained from the Liaoning Provincial Ecological Environment Department, Industrial Sources of the Second Pollution Census Data. The monthly water quality data were obtained from the Liaoning Provincial Ecological Environment Department and included total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The soil data included the percentage of clay, percentage of sand, percentage of total nitrogen, percentage of organic matter, percentage of silt, and depth. The soil attribute data were collected from the soil attribute grid data of China (http://www.issas.ac.cn/kxcb/zgtrxxxt/). Soil heavy metal contents were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry of surface soil samples.

2.4. Modelling

2.4.1. Atmospheric processes -WRF-CMAQ model

Based on the air quality target, we used the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF v3.9) in combination with the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Model (CMAQ v5.1) to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics and confirm the environmental capacity of various major pollutants in Anshan city.

The WRF model simulated the weather field. The outermost simulation area was a 27 km×27 km grid (Domain 1), covering mainland China. The simulation area of the middle layer had a resolution of 9 km×9 km (Domain 2), covering eastern China. The inner simulation area was a 3 km×3 km grid covering Anshan city, Liaoning (Domain 3). The simulation period was January, April, July, and October 2016. The meteorological field simulation designed 3 layers of grid nesting, namely, DOM1, DOM2, and DOM3, with resolutions of 27, 9, and 3 km, respectively.

In accordance with the pollutant emission inventory in the base year (2016) and the pollutant emission inventory in the forecast years (2025 and 2035), the allowable emissions of various major pollutants under the constraints of the PM2.5 bottom line target was simulated through the air quality model CMAQ.

2.4.2. Hydrological processes -SWAT model

The SWAT model was calibrated and validated using observed data from 2006-2016. The SWAT model developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was selected, as it is widely used to assess NPS pollution loads in agriculture and watersheds. Detailed information about SWAT is available in previous literature (Abbaspour et al., 2007; Arnold et al., 2012).

Prior to application, the SWAT model must be properly calibrated and validated to determine its reliability and accuracy. Methods and results for model calibration and validation are available in previous literature (Zong et al., 2020).

2.4.3. Soil pollution-Kriging interpolation

Before stimulation, outliers were eliminated. The remaining data were tested by Normal QQPlot in the Explore Data of the Geostatistical Analyst module in ArcGIS to test the normal distribution of the data. The spatial variability of the content in the Anshan area has a semivariance structure, so different heavy metals use different semivariance fitting models: Cu, Cd and As use Gaussian models, Zn, Pb and Hg use spherical models, and Cr and Ni use exponential models. Based on semivariance function fitting, with the measured data of soil heavy metals in Anshan city, kriging in ArcGIS Geostatistical Analyst is utilized for spatial interpolation to predict the continuous distribution of heavy metals in a certain spatial range.

2.4.4. Evaluation of ecological conservation importance

Ecological conservation importance was calculated according to the calculation method of the technical guide for the ecological protection red line. Detailed information is available in previous literature (Li et al., 2020; Xiong et al., 2018).

2.4.5. Environmental control unit delimitation

The environmental control units were delineated by imposing and fitting the boundaries of administrative divisions, industrial parks, and various control zones, such as ecology, water, atmosphere, and soil. The water environment control zone was taken as the base layer; the atmospheric environment control zone was overlain; the ecological, soil and other plots were gradually integrated with relatively concentrated control zone layers; administrative boundaries were fit; and environmental control units were divided. In the process of delineation, factors such as regional industrial economic development, the dominant function of the ecological environment, and the main ecological environmental issues were considered; an appropriate selection of the overlay layer should be made to avoid excessive fragmentation of the unit delineation.

3.1. Spatial recognition of key regions of atmospheric processes

Based on the WRF-CMAQ two-way coupled system, the average PM_2.5 concentrations of typical months (January, April, July, and October as the representative seasonal typical months) in 2025 and 2035 was simulated according to the annual pollutant emissions in 2016 (Fig. 3-4).

As shown in Fig. 3, the SO₂ and NO_x emissions were mainly concentrated in eastern Anshan city from industrial emission sources, and NH₃ emissions were mainly concentrated in the central and northern regions from agricultural sources. Similar to the distribution of SO₂ and NO_x, the PM_2.5 emissions also demonstrated a high concentration in this region of eastern Anshan.

In 2025, the average annual concentration of PM_2.5 in Anshan city can be reduced to 38 μg/m³, and the ratio of good days will be increased to 85%. In 2035, the annual average concentration of PM_2.5 in Anshan city can be reduced to 35 μg/m³, and the ratio of good days will increase to 87% (Fig. 4).

We formulated the bottom line of atmosphere environmental quality and atmospheric function zoning by considering the following: atmospheric process simulation results combined with pollution-sensitive targets, the built-up area, and natural reserves; land use types when zoning; and industrial emission intensity, urban upwind direction, diffusion channels, and circulation. There were five levels of area division (Fig. 8 (a)).

3.2. Recognition of key spatial regions of hydrologic and water pollution processes

The hydrological and water pollution processes were constructed using ArcGIS and SWAT models. The SWAT was well calibrated and validated, and the accuracy can satisfy the needs of our research in the study area. Detailed information can be found in our former works (Zong et al., 2021). The administrative boundaries of the township were combined with the hydrological process simulation, then divided into 69 hydrological control zones via the SWAT model. The model results reflected that the spatial distribution characteristics of total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads were the same (Fig. 5).

By analyzing the characteristics of the terrain elevation catchment, urban pipe network catchment, water system relationship, pollution discharge, and water environment quality distribution characteristics in the urban space, the relationship between the regional catchment and water function areas was identified, and a collection of pollutant discharges was established. Delineated priority protection areas for water source protection; priority protection areas for water ecological protection; key control areas for industrial pollution of water environment; key control areas for water environments subject to urban domestic pollution within the city of Anshan; and key control areas for water environment and agricultural pollution (Fig. 8 (b)).

Application of the K-S test confirmed that all heavy metal concentrations were normally distributed. The distribution of As content ranged from 3.6042 to 11.8497 mg/kg. Rock minerals, pesticides, and fertilizers in human production contain As, which may lead to the southeast high distribution, and the high content of As in the northern region may be related to sewage discharge, thereby polluting the soil. The distribution of Cr content ranged from 35.9133 to 110.2030 mg/kg. The high content area may be related to the discharge of soil parent material and Cr compound manufacturing enterprises in this area. The distribution of Hg content ranged from 0.0174 to 0.1174 mg/kg. The main distribution areas are densely populated, and the Hg in production and domestic waste is easily adsorbed and fixed by the soil, resulting in Hg enrichment. The distribution of Ni content ranged from 15.7471 to 33.3874 mg/kg. The distribution of Pb content ranged from 17.3866 to 48.0287 mg/kg. The high-value areas of Pb are scattered and distributed in patches, which are affected by air dust deposition and vehicle exhaust emissions. The distribution of Cd, Cu, and Zn contents ranged from 0.0949 to 0.3694 mg/kg, 19.5017 to 30.6043 mg/kg, and 31.2754 to 110.862 mg/kg and were mainly concentrated in northern Xiuyan County, where vegetable farming may contribute to the contamination of Cd, Cu and Zn (Fig. 6). None of the heavy metal contents exceeded the National Soil Environmental Quality Standard (GB15618-2018).

According to the land use map, agricultural land, construction land, and unused land were extracted. Spatial interpolation of the heavy metals cadmium, chromium, arsenic, mercury, and lead was carried out, and agricultural land was managed and controlled according to the "Soil Environmental Quality Agricultural Land Soil Pollution Risk Control Standard", which is divided into priority protection areas for agricultural land and key pollution risk control areas for agricultural land. Through the Anshan City Industrial Enterprise Pollution Discharge Key Enterprise List, a key control zone for pollution risks of construction land will be established. The remaining areas are divided into general control areas (Fig. 8 (c)).

3.4. Important Ecological Space Assessment

The ecosystem services, including water source protection, wind and sand protection, and biodiversity maintenance, were estimated based on the recommended methods in the “ecological red line assessment standard” (Fig. 7). The raster values corresponding to 50% and 80% of the total value of ecosystem services were taken as the demarcation points for the evaluation and classification of ecosystem services.

Based on the results of ecosystem services and the distribution of natural protected areas, the ecological redline of Anshan city was determined. The importance of ecosystem services is divided into three levels, namely, extremely important, important, and moderately important. Among them, the most important area of the ecosystem service function is the ecological protection red line area (Fig. 8 (d)).

3.5. Ecological environment management and control division

3.5.1. Ecological environment management and control function zoning

There were five levels of area division of the atmosphere: 1) priority protection areas, including nature reserves, scenic spots, and forest parks; 2) high emission areas, including industrial parks and high-emission towns; 3) layout-sensitive areas, including urban upwind, diffusion channels, circulation channels, and other layouts that affect air quality; 4) receptor-sensitive areas, including urban centers, built-up areas, and concentrated residential, medical, and education areas; and 5) general control areas, which are the remaining area without special protection. (Fig. 8(a)).

The boundaries of township administrative districts were combined with the delineating units via the SWAT model then divided into a total of 84 control zones. These zones include 16 priority protection areas, accounting for 19.05%; 46 key control areas, accounting for 54.76%; and 22 general control areas, accounting for 26.19%. According to different sources of pollution, the key control areas can be divided into key control areas for industrial pollution, key control areas for urban domestic pollution, and key control areas for agricultural pollution (Fig. 8(b)).

The area of nonpolluting agricultural land accounts for 82.49%, making it a priority protection area. The agricultural land pollution risk control area and the construction land risk control area account for 1.52% of the total pollution risk control area. General control areas account for 15.99% (Fig. 8(c)).

The ecological protection red line area of Anshan city is 1147.38 km², accounting for 12.41% of the city; the general ecological space covers an area of 2384.09 km², accounting for 25.78% of the city's area; and the general control area accounts for 61.81% (Fig. 8(d)).

3.5.2. Eco-environmental unit management terms

The number of environmental management and control units is divided into 67 areas that focus on ecological environmental protection, such as ecological protection red lines and other ecological spaces, water environment priority protection areas, and atmospheric environment priority protection areas, which should be regarded as priority protection units; regions serve as key control units; and other regions serve as general control units (Fig. 9).

The priority protection units include the ecological protection red line, water environment priority protection area, atmospheric environment priority protection area, agricultural land priority protection area, etc. They focus on ecological environment protection and prohibit or restrict large-scale industrial development, minerals, other natural resource development, and urban construction. There are 37 priority protection units in Anshan city, with a total area of 3458.82 km², accounting for 37.37% of the total area of the city. Key control units include other ecological spaces, towns, and industrial parks outside the ecological protection red line, densely populated areas with high resource development intensity, and high pollutant emission intensity. According to the quality objectives and control requirements of water, atmosphere, soil, ecology, and other environmental elements in the unit, as well as the control requirements of natural resources, the list of access and treatment is comprehensively determined. There are 29 key control units in Anshan, with a total area of 4165.77 km², accounting for 45.01% of the total area of the city. The general control unit includes other areas except for priority protection and key control areas and implements the basic requirements for regional ecological environment protection. There is one general control unit in Anshan, with a total area of 1630.77 km², accounting for 17.62% of the total area of the city.

For the atmosphere, the priority protection area prohibits any construction projects other than ecological protection and restoration; the existing enterprises and industrial land in the area are gradually being removed; and all units and individuals are prohibited from destroying or occupying the land in the area. The high emission area will promote the construction of eco-industrial parks, the efficient recycling of resources, and the technological transformation of energy conservation and emission reduction. The use of high-polluting fuels is prohibited except for urban heating and power plant boilers in receptor-sensitive areas, and the construction of nonpoint source projects with dust below 15 meters is restricted. Reconstruction and expansion projects in weak diffusion areas should raise the entry threshold for energy conservation and environmental protection and prohibit the construction of new projects in high-polluting industries. In layout-sensitive areas, projects involving the emission of toxic gases and high pollution are prohibited.

For water environmental zones, priority protection areas need to strictly protect the water area, strengthen water ecological construction, avoid the deterioration of water quality, and protect drinking water safety. In key agricultural pollution control areas, agricultural nonpoint source pollution should be rectified, and the impact of planting and livestock on the aquatic environment should be reduced. Key urban domestic pollution control areas should promote the construction of rain and sewage diversion, control the total amount of pollutant discharge, and improve green coverage. In key industrial pollution control areas, the construction of direct wastewater discharge projects must be prohibited, and the carrying capacity of the water environment must be rationally utilized to ensure that the environmental quality does not deteriorate. The management of the general control area should restrict the entry of high water-consuming industries, control the total amount of pollution, and discharge up to the standard.

Agricultural land priority protected areas should encourage the application of organic fertilizers, promote water-saving irrigation, and implement new farming models. Key agricultural land pollution control areas need to monitor the changes in soil environmental quality at fixed points and implement plans for returning farmland to forests and grasslands for severely polluted farmland. In the key control area for pollution risks of construction land, the land and surrounding soil environment of key regulatory industries and industrial parks should be monitored, and the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution need to be strengthened. The management of general control areas should prevent soil pollution and ensure the safety of the regional ecological environment.

4.1. Integrated multi-ecological and environmental process approach

In this study, an integrated approach was proposed for estimating the environmental protection zone by coupling the CMAQ, SWAT, and spatial analysis methods. Most current research on landscape patterns and processes is mainly focused on a single ecological environment process problem (Liu et al., 2020; Tu et al., 2019). Our study comprehensively considers multiple eco-environmental processes of the water, atmosphere, soil, and ecological environment and provides a new approach to study the relationship between landscape patterns and processes. These methods can effectively exhibit the spatial distribution and process of air pollution, NPS pollution, and soil pollution (Gan et al., 2016; Lu et al., 2012; Zong et al., 2021). We used modeling to simulate the transportation and distribution of pollutants and their relationship with landscape patterns and analyzed key regions for eco-environmental processes and reasonable regional management.

In the past, single-element zoning approaches for ecosystems, water, and the atmosphere were important to control for environmental management and were mainly based on ecological conservation and pollution control (He et al., 2018; Liu et al., 2018; Xu et al., 2017). The issues of ecological conservation, environmental protection, and resource use in China are complex and varied. Therefore, single-element management, such as controlling water and air separately, ignores the relationship between multiple environments and increases the difficulty of controlling and balancing cross-media pollution (Cheng and Li, 2019). The environmental quality and resource use control objectives should be coordinated with the relevant resource use, water, air, and soil environmental management policies. The ultimate goal is to promote a fine and spatially differentiated environmental control approach for territorial spaces through zoning.

4.2. Advances of the multiple eco-environmental process unit management to traditional planning

Compared with traditional planning, this study has many advantages. Traditional planning has usually been carried out by one administrative department, which mainly considered certain social, ecological, and environmental processes. For example, the socioeconomic plan issued by the National Development and Reform Commission is about socioeconomic-related fields. The Ministry of Housing and Urban‒Rural Development issued a sponge city plan in response to the impact of floods, focusing only on the impact of water on the city (Chan et al., 2018). Environmental management has demonstrated ecological function zoning (Xu et al., 2020), and the environmental protection administration has enforced this policy with single elements, including ecological conservation, the aquatic environment, and the atmosphere. The main purpose of ecological function and the red line is conservation, while environmental factors and their control requirements are not included (Gao et al., 2020; Zhou and Xiao, 2010). The water environmental function zoning implemented different water discharge standards and control requirements according to the zone (Huang et al., 2019; Ping et al., 2012). Air function zoning was primarily for objective control, and the function zones were unclear and not fully covered. Moreover, the current severe and complex environmental problems cannot be resolved by a single-element approach (Margerum and Born, 2010).

In addition, these plans have many problems, such as duplication of content, overlapping planning spaces, and conflicts between land use control boundaries, leading to waste of space resources, social conflicts, and unbalanced regional development (Hu et al., 2013; Yuan et al., 2019). To this end, the government proposed national territorial spatial planning to achieve multiple-plan coordination. The territorial space planning carried out in recent years has implemented multi-planning, integrating the main functional area planning, land use planning, urban and rural planning, and other spatial planning into one (Liu and Zhou, 2021). However, this planning has given little consideration to the environmental process.

We integrated multiple process models to identify critical areas of the entire domain and proposed management and control requirements according to the control unit by integrating the comprehensive requirements of the environment and partitioning them into priority protection, key control, and general protection units. We clarified the industries or development content that can successfully be developed in each region and effectively carry out comprehensive control of the whole area without exceeding the environmental carrying capacity. The methodology of this study should be adopted, taking into account the comprehensive process, to guide the more effective implementation of territorial spatial planning. The results can alleviate the conflicts between the local eco-environment and regional social development.

In this study, we proposed a synthetic spatial planning and management method considering atmospheric, edaphic, hydrographic and ecological processes. The spatial control zones were delineated based on the spatial character of each eco-environmental process. By imposing and fitting these four types of control zones, a comprehensive environmental control unit was defined, and managements and control strategies was enacted based on its eco-environmental risk. The Anshan City was chosen as a case study has proved the effectiveness of this method.

Since traditional planning studies mainly focused on social, economic or one certain eco-environmental issues. In the background of China's implementation of multiple-plan coordination and overall planning of various departments, ecological protection received more attention. This study has potential implication for urban and region planning for sustainable development or achieve SDGs goals.

The limitation of this synthetic method is that these complex models are hard for planners to handle with. For scientific development and SDGs purposes, the spatial plan or ‘all-in-one’ plan need to cooperate with multiple departments and research institutions.

Publisher’s Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Funding This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32071580, 41871192).

Author Contributions Statement Tingshuang Zhang and Miao Liu wrote the main manuscript text. Tan Chen prepared figures 3-4, Chunlin Li prepared figures 5-6, 9, and Hongyan Yin prepared figure 7. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

Declaration of Competing Interest : The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32071580, 41871192).

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No competing interests reported.

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Spatial planning and management to control multi-ecological environmental problems: A case study of Anshan city, Liaoning, China

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